Advising ServicesCurrent Students

Take Five Scholars Program FAQ

The Take Five Scholars Program provides free tuition for an extra
year or semester of study designed to enrich a student's curriculum.
Take Five affords students the opportunity to indulge in studying a
topic of interest; to learn for the sake of learning, without the
concern that it will make him or her a better job or graduate school
applicant. Students complete an application that includes a proposal for
a sustained and coherent interdisciplinary program of study. The Take
Five Scholars are among the most interesting students on campus—they
have diverse and varied interests and are intellectually curious. Take
Five Scholars are multi-dimensional people who generally go on to great
things after college. For more information, see the Take Five home page.

FAQ

For What Purpose Can Take Five Courses Be Used?

They may be used for academic enrichment. Take Five courses cannot
be used in any way to satisfy graduation, major, minor or cluster
requirements. Furthermore, Take Five is not an opportunity to earn
additional credentials, such as fulfilling pre-med requirements, or
completing certificate programs, or the requirements of another major.
Students must demonstrate on their application that they could complete
all graduation requirements without Take Five.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Any student who has completed at least one semester at the
University, has at least one full semester left at the University, and
has been officially accepted into a major may apply. Additionally, all
full-time students in The College or the Eastman School of Music are
eligible to apply in any year except during the second semester of their
senior year(i.e. their final semester).

What is the Application Timetable? How do I Apply?

Applicant
selections take place twice a year. Beginning FALL 2013, there will no
longer be in-person group information sessions to attend. Instead, all
information about the program and application process will be available
through Blackboard. Students must carefully review each section of the
"TAKE FIVE PROGRAM" module located on the Blackboard home page
(available end of summer 2013). Once students are confident they have
understood all program requirements and rules, they must successfully
complete a 20 question quiz within Blackboard. Students must earn a
perfect 20/20 score on the quiz in order to gain permission to the
online application. Only after students have passed the T5 quiz are
they permitted to meet with the T5 Advisor in 312 Lattimore Hall.

There
are TWO REQUIRED DEADLINES each semester: The Program Recommender
Agreement Form is due approximately one month prior to the deadline for
the Take 5 Application and recommendation letters. Dates are subject to
change according to the calendar year (i.e. when November 1st falls on a
weekend), but generally the application deadlines are as follows:

FALL SEMESTER-

(1) Program Recommender Agreement Form due first week of October, and

(2) T5 Proposal and recommendation letters due November 1st.

SPRING SEMESTER-

(1) Program Recommender Agreement Form due in mid-February, and

(2) T5 Proposal and recommendation letters due the Thursday after Spring Break.

What Does the Application include?

Most significant are the essay and the corresponding courses, a
substantial number of which must be beyond the introductory level.
Applicants are also asked to supply a resume, two letters of
recommendation and a listing of the courses they have used or will use
to complete cluster requirements.

In addition, applicants need to complete the following three course listings:

The remaining courses they need to take to complete their
regular four-year program, and the semesters in which they will be
taken.

The four or eight courses that will comprise their Take Five program.

The courses they will take including the Take Five courses, if
admitted (i.e. 1 and 2) and the corresponding semesters during which
they will be taken.

Since integration of Take Five courses into the regular curriculum
is expected, where possible, admitted students may need to replace
graduation or major requirements with some of their Take Five courses,
pushing those requirements into their tuition-free fifth year. However,
students must still complete at least 128 credits prior to the beginning
of their tuition-free year.

What Type of Application Succeeds?

A successful application is one that presents a focused statement
of purpose and a corresponding cohesive schedule of courses. Pursuit of
the proposal should reflect a potential for intellectual growth. In
addition, students must demonstrate an inability to undertake such
studies during their first four years due to the constraints of their
undergraduate curricula. There is no G.P.A. requirement, although the
quality of the academic record is considered carefully. There must also
be evidence that the applicant conferred with appropriate faculty about
their proposal.

What Types of Applications are Unsuccessful?

The following kinds are likely to be rejected: those that portray
an interest in a variety of non-related subjects simply because the
opportunity to investigate them has not been available (i.e. to
remediate gaps); those that convey an interest in extending present
studies in the major when graduate school would be a better alternative;
those that reflect a desire to complete certificates, pre-med
requirements, or are careerist in nature; those that are vague and
poorly written.

Who Decides?

The Take Five Review Board decides which proposals are accepted.
The Board consists of a Take Five Scholar in his or her fifth year, a
college dean, and a faculty member from each of these four areas:
humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.
Ex-officio members include the Take Five Scholars Program Administrator
and Administrators from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
and the Eastman School of Music.

Can I Study Abroad as Part of My Take Five Program?

Yes. The Take Five Scholars program allows students to spend an
additional semester or year at UR, tuition-free, pursuing a series of
courses around a particular theme for the purpose of intellectual
enrichment. If the focus of the Take Five project lends itself to
overseas study, then you may propose to include a semester or even a
full year abroad. Early planning is essential, since study abroad should
be completed prior to your fifth year. As you formulate your Take Five
proposal, attend a Take Five information session and consult with the
Take Five program adviser in the College Center for Advising Services.